Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-06-16

AnvN thal rreheameh no longer Dc
lievs insuch books as these2' start
ed at the speaker and the volume fel
from my hand as he poured his in
sldious words into my ears. Then
for very shame. ! quilted the building
and retired to my own rooms.
pictured 20 myself the old home will
the Slllage church. where purity anC
belief went hand in hand, and I shud
dered lest q rumor of that which
had heard should ever enter thai
Saist community. But, thank God
my own life was never taFf--ed with
their words; my ears refused to receive
their mockery and their blasphemy
The student who had so advised
me came to my rooms one evening
with an invitation to his club to hear
a great speaker. Though l was no
friend of the boy, my curiosity led
me TO accompany him. that | might
assure myself that the pretended agi-
tation was but the work of few fam
atics. | entered the hall. 1t was
crowded with some hundreds of stu
dents and workers and rascals, the
last apparently drawn from the worst
slums of Paris. A man upon the plat
form, with fervid grafton, advised the
determination of Kings and mobiles.
His words were at times drowned by
the storms of applause they occasioned.
l learned afterwards that the man
who spoke was Jean Paul Marat, and
that there were many such clubs as
the one | had that night attended.
The fanatics then were many; in a
short time We were able to say that
they were a majority in the city,
From that date the tide of revol.
ution flowed fast. In the succeeding
year the Bastile, fell, and France, nav,
Europe, rejoiced as, from that relic of
despotism and darkness, the prisoners
Were restored to the light of day.
was before the gates as the mob of
women and of men perpetrated that
wonderful and surprising deed, aud
never did witness a multitude that
displayed such a vivid resolution and
such united action. But a glance at
TIE mass OF upturned and repulsive
faces showed the danger of trifiing
with people who regarded no sacrifice
OF human life too great for the accom-
plishment t their purpose.
1T was shortly after such an event
that, walking with a fellow. student
near The place of Versailles, a car
rlage passed US On the road to Paris.
The vehicle was occupied by an aged
man and a girl, who must have been
but twenty years old. 1t was in the
sprlngtime, and the woods were white
with blossoms, and the cottages filled
with the scent Of the May flowers; and
as the carriage came slowly along the
hard road from a chateau that stood
upon neishboring hill, l felt that
one occupant of it at least was worthy
OF the glorious picture that nature
unfolded around us. All, Marie how
can l find words to speak of you =?
Grandson, it is enough to say that
since that bour her face has been be-
fore me day and night, sleeping and
waking, in prosperity or misfortune.
Everywhere | look | see those eyes Of
hers speaking to me, those hands
lifted in pleading, her lips moving as
she bids NE tn her side, and l cannot
stir !"
The voice Of the old man sank low
! the veins on his forehead swelled, he
stretched out his arms, then for a mo.
ment CT two he was silent, and bis
heavy breathing aud stifed sobs alone
were heari in the room. After a
time. becoming somewhat more calm
he continued:
MY companion, in answer to my
questions, told me that the old man was
the Baron Jendavi. and that the girl
was Marie. his daughter. / followed
the carriage with my eyes until g
cloud of dust alone marked its pro.
gress along the road; then, with little
ceremony to nv friend, ! turned back
and walked straight to Paris.
1T was only when / was alone il
my rooms that | asked myself what
prompted this strange action. / haG
seen but for = few moments face By
the roadside. yet l believe that no
one atom of the beauty of it had es
eaped me. In that short walk haC
created to myself an ideal in q worlc
of fancy, which ere this my imagina
ton had never penetrated. Before.
Was the scholar; life was for me in th,
mass Of volumes that lined the WALL
Of my rooms and of the libraries
among the thoughts and the researches
OF ihnse WIN had laft To fhair ksllnw